After I Fully Prepared for the Apocalypse, the Ungrateful Cried with Regret

A friend of Nina Jacobs’s?

”Should she stay here? I’ll go get a room ready right away,” Cordelia said quickly.

”That won’t be necessary. It’s not convenient for her to show her face here right now.”

Nina Jacobs told them not to worry about it.

”That makes sense. I get it.”

’After all, she’s a Space Superpower User. In a place like this, it’s only normal for Nina Jacobs’s friend to stay hidden.’

That evening, Nina Jacobs met with Genevieve in the communal dormitory where she had stayed before.

Genevieve had actually known for a few days that Nina Jacobs had arrived.

Nina Jacobs had killed the universally hated bald captain for them.

But because of that, she had been thrown into the correctional pod.

’As an ordinary person on the lowest rung of society, there was nothing I could do, no matter how anxious I was. I never expected Nina Jacobs to get out so quickly.’

”We were actually planning to head to Tomorrow Base in the next day or two, once we were ready,” Genevieve said.

A companion of theirs had been injured, so the group had to wait for a few extra days.

As for the rumor circulating in the base, ”Whatever you do, don’t go to Tomorrow Base,” they hadn’t believed it from the very beginning.

After all, they all knew that Nina Jacobs and Claire Warner were from Tomorrow Base.

Nina Jacobs nodded, then said,

”I had Cordelia bring you here because my current situation is... complicated. Also, there’s a job opportunity at Tomorrow Base. I was wondering if you might be interested?”

Just a moment ago, when no one was looking, she had used her Diamond Sand Cover to create a thin barrier around the inside of the dilapidated little room.

The Diamond Sand Cover could block any sound from within.

”A job?”

Genevieve’s eyes lit up, then quickly dimmed. ”But I’m not a Superpower User.”

In Lornwood Base, it was impossible for ordinary people to find work.

”This job is perfect for you. And even though it’s temporary, I can guarantee that you’ll have work to do at Tomorrow Base in the future.”

Genevieve was captivated by Nina Jacobs’s offer.

’My greatest dream is to live an easier life. Even if only for a single day.’

”...Can I really do it?”

A sliver of longing bloomed within Genevieve.

’This is a chance to get a foothold in a new base. I can’t bring myself to refuse.’

”I believe you can,” Nina Jacobs said.

”Okay, I accept.”

Genevieve didn’t want to miss this chance.

After learning what the job entailed, Genevieve was even more eager to get started.

”So, you’re saying Dean Coleman and the others can work with me?” Genevieve asked.

”Of course. Intelligence work requires a team.”

Nina Jacobs didn’t mind if Genevieve brought a few more people.

The only condition was that she had to trust them completely.

”So, what do I need to do next?” Genevieve asked earnestly.

”Help me get this to Felix Finch at Tomorrow Base.

And then, spread some information within Lornwood Base.”

Nina Jacobs gave Genevieve a map. There were two locations marked on it; she believed Felix Finch would understand after seeing it.

”What information?”

’I understand passing intelligence, but what does she mean by spreading information *in* Lornwood Base?’

”Just tell everyone that Tomorrow Base has usable water,” Nina Jacobs replied with a smile.

Genevieve froze for a moment, then understanding dawned on her.

”I get it. You can count on us.”

’Tomorrow Base is poaching people from Lornwood Base. And coincidentally, people are the very thing Lornwood Base treats as worthless.’

In that moment, Genevieve suddenly felt a sense of her own worth.

Nina Jacobs had told her that in Tomorrow Base, there was no distinction between Superpower Users and ordinary people.

Everyone who was still alive went by a single name—

survivor.

When Nina Jacobs returned to her quarters, she was surprised to find Wyatt Holden already waiting for her.

”And where has Miss Jacobs been?” Wyatt Holden asked, his eyes narrowed.

Nina Jacobs calmly set down the hiking pack she was carrying. ”I went back to my old quarters to grab some things.”

”I see.

I came to deliver your ’pass’.”

Wyatt Holden took out a palm-sized metal token.

The metal plate looked somewhat like a token, its edges inlaid with an intricate, special wood grain pattern.

There was also an indented area on the back of the token.

”General Hughes asked me to give this to you. With this, you can get access to certain places just by showing it.

For instance, that trip to get your things—if you had just shown this token to the guards, they would have helped you with anything.”

Wyatt Holden explained when he saw Nina Jacobs staring at the token.

”This token looks very special,” Nina Jacobs remarked.

Wyatt Holden smiled. ”Of course. General Hughes made it himself using his Gold Element Superpower, and it features Mrs. White’s wood carving skills. Even another Gold Element Superpower User would find it nearly impossible to create an exact copy.”

”Mrs. White knows how to do wood carving?” Nina Jacobs asked curiously.

”A skill passed down through her family.”

While the two were talking, Lexy snuggled up to Nina Jacobs, rubbing against her pant leg.

”I’m surprised, though. I didn’t expect you to keep a cat.”

Wyatt Holden found the scene a little odd.

’Then again, it’s understandable. Considering Nina Jacobs’s strength, keeping a cat isn’t that unusual.’

”Mhm, he saved my life.”

Nina Jacobs crouched down to pet Lexy, who immediately rolled over and exposed his belly for her to rub.

”Miss Jacobs, you’re quite the sentimentalist,” Wyatt Holden remarked.

This was General Hughes’s assessment of Nina Jacobs.

’Sentimental people are easier to control, but they often make poor decisions, which makes them the most unstable of factors.’

”Let’s go,” Nina Jacobs said, standing up.

Seeing Wyatt Holden looking at her in confusion, Nina Jacobs asked, ”You didn’t come looking for me just to deliver this, did you?”

’If it were just to deliver something, Wyatt Holden wouldn’t have needed to come in person.’

Wyatt Holden finally smiled. ”You’re right. I’m here to take you both somewhere.”

Although there was only one token, Wyatt Holden made a special exception for Wayne Warner to come along.

After the three of them left, Cordelia and the others finally came out, leading Zoraida by the hand.

”Who was that?” Cordelia asked Tobin, who had already returned.

”The supervisor of the correctional pod.”

There was a hint of surprise in Tobin’s eyes, too; Wyatt Holden had seemed quite polite to Nina Jacobs.

’It seems the person who let us out must be someone of an even higher rank.’

”You probably haven’t heard, but the one who recruited Nina Jacobs was General Hughes,” Cordelia said.

’General Hughes?’

Tobin was stunned.

After his time in the correctional pod, he had also realized that the real person in charge of the base might not be Evander Langdon.

It was someone else.

He now had a gut feeling that this person might just be General Hughes.

’After all, all the base guards are under his command...’

Nina Jacobs and Wayne Warner followed Wyatt Holden to an office building.

Having never ventured deep into Lornwood Base, she assumed this was its administrative center. But after navigating a maze of corridors and passing through several heavily guarded checkpoints, she found herself at the entrance to an underground tunnel.

”This is...”

Nina Jacobs never expected to be able to enter a place like this so openly.

But after walking through that door, she discovered that this was just a passageway. One side connected to an exit, while the other was a large, sealed door.

”From now on, your missions will start here,” Wyatt Holden explained. ”You’ll be responsible for safely transporting the supplies shipped out from within to other designated locations.”

”You mean, out of the base? What is this other location?” Nina Jacobs ventured.

”That’s not your concern. You are only responsible for the transportation. We will give you a designated drop-off point for each mission,” Wyatt Holden said. ”Your first mission is tonight. Since you’re new, General Hughes will personally take you.”

Nina Jacobs didn’t need to know too much.

’After all, as General Hughes said, she’s just a tool.’